Wayne Floe is kind of a big deal. His innovative approach to boating accessories has been the driving force behind Floe International for almost 30 years. The Minnesota-based company specializes in making docks, boat lifts and other marine accessories.
Floe could have easily stopped there. But he didn’t. He began to imagine a boat in which the pontoon and the cabin cruiser were combined.
What came to be of this idea is now called the Floe Craft, a 36-foot sport yacht convertible, which Floe calls, “The Ultimate Crossover.” The design is very open but the boat has the ability to close up. The fore and aft decks are open for when the weather is optimal, as well as the cabin, which is also open and roofless. But when the weather changes, you can close the windows, roof and doors, keeping out the elements.
In His Blood
Floe was designing boats before the Floe Craft was first conceived. In the ’80’s, when he was getting Floe International up and going, he put together a double-decker pontoon with a hot tub that he named the Jacruzzi.
“I built the 12-foot, 8-person pontoon for personal use and it really was the Cadillac of boats,” recalls Floe. “People would come to see it and it helped get the dock and boat lift business established.”
Floe received numerous offers on the boat and eventually sold it. The boat is still in use today at a resort and has been trouble-free all this time.
The Beginnings
As you can imagine, the Floe Craft didn’t just happen overnight. The story begins about five years ago.
“I have been a boater my entire life and I got to the point where I had almost every kind of boat,” says Floe. “I literally had 13 registered water crafts, which I realized was too many.”
But since Floe lives in Minnesota, he had to take the varying weather conditions into consideration. Living in a climate with a short summer and long winter can put a damper on the boating season if you don’t have the right setup.
“We had two pontoons. One had the roof up, and the other had the roof down,” says Floe. “If the weather took a turn, we’d switch boats.”
Floe wanted to make something that could extend the boating season without creating something that was a huge hassle. Installing enclosures can be time-consuming and according to Floe they don’t really combat extreme weather. He put pen to paper and came up with the original specs for a brand-new type of boat, which went on to be named the Floe Craft.
What Is It?
There is no other way to describe this boat other than it’s a highly modified pontoon, deck boat and cabin cruiser. The prototypes feature a spacious 10- by 34-foot print, all on one level with plenty of room to entertain and move about.
The amazing part is that in just 29 seconds, the cabin, with its electric window, door and roof system, becomes completely enclosed. Needless to say, if the weather changes, this boat can change faster.
“It doesn’t matter where you live, this boat will run. Snow doesn’t bother it,” says Floe. “It’s all about beating Mother Nature at her own game.”
The boat has room for up to 20 people without sacrificing speed or comfort. It comes with twin electric couches that transform the cabin into comfortable sleeping quarters. This boat is great for multi-water sports, from fishing to extreme tubing, wakeboarding and trick skiing.
The Hull
Part of what makes it so efficient is the custom V-cat hull designed by Floe specifically for this boat. It outperforms in speed, handling and fuel economy and gets on plane faster with less horsepower, which allows for better fuel economy and top-end speed.
“The Floe Craft only draws 19 inches of water, 24 inches if it’s fully loaded,” says Floe. “Shallow water isn’t a problem.”
Though the boat sits on a two-log setup, it turns like a true V-hull boat. It dives into corners and holds tight, which adds to the stability.
Twins vs. Single
The prototypes are currently powered by twin Mercury 8.2 MAG H.O engines. The 430hp Bravo Three X Drive engines are impressive, though the boat can operate just as easily on a single engine.
“The boat hit 51 miles per hour on a single engine,” says Floe. “I’m sure you don’t need twin engines to run it well because I tested it myself.”
Seeing It In Person
There are a few early models that made the rounds to different boat shows over the last couple of years. Plus Floe has released some of the model boats for testing in different areas of the country.
“I have two very avid pontoon boaters testing down in the Florida Keys right now,” says Floe. “One just called to tell me that he cleared the Tiki Bar at Gilbert’s Resort at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. As soon as they pulled up to the dock, people left their seats to come down and take pictures and get onboard.”
During the 2012 boat show season, over 40,000 people came to see the boat across the country.
“The response has been jaw-dropping,” says Floe. “People were ready for a boat like this because it’s versatile and appeals to people of all age ranges.”
The company is working on a major addition to its current plant, which will be completed soon. From there, production will begin on a large scale. Floe hopes to start taking orders for early 2014 and then to start seeing them in marinas across the country by next year.
The price point isn’t for everyone. This highly modified boat is expected to retail around $200,000. But this one-of-a-kind boating experience is fun to dream about and even more exciting to see in person.
Q&A With Wayne Floe
When we posted the preview to this story on our Facebook page, some of you had questions for Wayne Floe. Here is what he had to say.
Question: Will it only be available in a 36-foot length?
Answer: When I started out designing the boat, I was shooting for somewhere between 26 to 28 feet. But I couldn’t quite get there on the first round because of all of the things I wanted to include. Eventually, we will be offering all the way down to 24 feet.
Question: What colors will it come in?
Answer: We are working on the graphics packages on an as-needed basis. We’ll pretty much be able to do anything the owner wants. On our current prototypes, we have four different graphics in use.
Question: Will this boat be saltwater ready?
Answer: Absolutely! The material we used is anodized and ready for the harsh conditions salt water creates.
Question: This boat isn’t quite a pontoon. What would you call it?
Answer: It’s a sport-yacht convertible that is a completely new type of boat. It’s the ultimate crossover.
